


The  Beginning  of  Infinity

by queenofroses12



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, Family, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:15:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24016552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenofroses12/pseuds/queenofroses12
Summary: Thor  and  Loki  have  known  of  the  latter's  real  parentage  since  childhood. However, even without the  Trickster's involvement, the jotun attack and it's consequences happen. With Asgard at the brink of war, Thor banished,Odin down and a Mad Titan  pulling  strings in the shadows, Loki, Sif and the Warriors Three  scramble to salvage the situation.Read  and  Review, please.
Relationships: Jane Foster/Thor
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	1. Prologue

"Damn it, babies this small aren't supposed to be this wriggly!"

Heimdal, the Keeper of Bifrost, had had a great deal of experience at keeping his face impassive, but it took considerable effort to maintain the respectful, disinterested gaze while watching Odin Allfather, king of Asgard and warrior famed through the Nine Realms, struggled to deal with the tiny restless bundle in his arms.

The king glared at Heimdal. "How am I going to explain this to Frigga?" The Watcher was familiar enough with Odin to know a response was not required. It was the king's practice to use the silent sentinel as a sounding board for some of his weirder ideas. " I mean, I did plan out what to say, but what if she doesn't give me a chance to explain? I know what it looks like, it has been long enough for…What if she thinks that I…What if she thinks it's mine?"

Heimdal believed such a misunderstanding was very unlikely, for the simple reason that no Jotun woman would bed with someone as tiny as an Asgardian. And had the Allfather forgotten himself so much as to try and force himself upon one, he would now be missing quite a few choice parts of his, and not just his eye.

" Surely she would take pity on the child.."The child was indeed very small for a Jotun, so much that the Watcher suspected it was only half-Jotun. But there was no trace of any other realm upon the small face, now wrinkled in concentration as the tiny fingers explored the king's beard. " I need to figure out a good explanation before I meet with her." Odin mused. "It would be awkward indeed to spring this upon her with no warning…"

"Welcome home, dearest."

The king was so startled that Heimdal reflexively reached out, fearing he would fall off the bridge. The queen stepped into their view, her eyes as bright as her smile. Odin had regained his balance, though not his composure.

"It's not what it looks like!" was all he could manage, much to his later embarrassment.

Frigga raised a shapely eyebrow.

"Not the Jotun infant you found and cast the glamour spell over?"

Odin opened his mouth to say something, shut it with an audible snap, then managed " You know, then?"

The queen sighed. "Husband mine, have you forgotten who our spies report to?"

"Oh."

"And that is _not_ how you hold a baby. Give him to me."

Odin was more than willing to comply.In the queen's arms, the baby instantly quieted down, cuddling to her with the automatic trust of the very young.

" They left him out in the snow to die?" Rarely had Odin heard his queen sound so openly furious.

" A runt." He clarified. " Considering the state of their healing arts, he wouldn't have survived long anyway. They would have no clue how to care for an infant this delicate."

"Our healers will."

One would expect a frost giant's child to feel icy cold, but this one was a warm cuddly little bundle against her. Heimdal watched in the background, none too happy at this new complication. Of course, he said nothing. He never does. The decision was made almost without discussion. When you have been husband and wife for a few centuries, you don't need a lot of words.

"Zotheyr will have to be taken into confidence. "

"Another healer too. At least two must know."

" Haera can be trusted."

" Her son was slain in the war. Faeyer would be a better choice. She is just as skilled."

" That makes five. Heimdal, us and two healers…What about the spies?"

"Memory modifying spells exist for a reason."

Odin frowned. "Wait a second, we forgot something"

"What?"

"Well, the queen is not pregnant and now there is a new little prince…"

Frigga laughed, having evidently considered this snag." You haven't been away long enough for any scandal mongering." As if anyone would dare! " I can just claim that, as regent, I believed it better to hide the fact that I was in a delicate state."

To be honest, Frigga had already determined her second pregnancy, when and if it came, would be hidden by glamour. Bearing Thor, the pain of the birthing bed was less disconcerting than the ugly unwieldiness of her form during those last couple of months.

Frigga traced a rune gently over the infant's forehead, adding another layer to the glamour spell Odin had laid upon him. Over the coming days, it would be strengthened further, but for now, this would do.

….

As the royal couple finally got to the relative privacy of the palace, a tiny blond shape came hurtling down the corridor, colliding right into the grown ups. "Daddy!" The king swung the little boy up into his arms, chuckling.

"Aren't you supposed to be in bed, kiddo?"

 _Supposed_ was the keyword. No doubt the unfortunate nursemaids assigned to look after him would be in hot pursuit, trying to figure out how the little imp had given them the slip again. Odin held the child close to him, letting the small fingers twine themselves in his beard, listening as the little boy poured out all the news of his miniature world. God, how he had missed this! Thor finally stopped chattering long enough to notice what his mother held.

" Wha's that?"

The king and queen of Asgard glanced at each other. You can get a lot of communication done in a glance.

"Your new baby brother" Frigga said, moving closer so that Thor could get a good look.

The boy had no magic to speak of, and anyway was nowhere near old enough to begin training. He, like almost everyone of Asgard, saw a normal baby, small, wrinkled, with bright green eyes that blinked up at him.

"He's sooo small! Smaller than Sif's baby sister!"

Frigga smiled. "He will get bigger"

Thor reached out tentatively to touch this new, tiny addition to his family. The baby fingers instinctively curled around the boy's hand. The child giggled, delighted.

"How long'd it be before he's big enough to play with me?"

"A little while" He looked a bit disappointed.

"Can I hold him?" Like most kids his age, Thor's clumsiness was second only to his hyperactivity. Frigga quickly changed the subject." Come on, let's go inside, the baby would get cold out here." Odin chuckled at that.


	2. The  Coronation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apparently, the jotuns don't need a traitor within the walls to sneak in. Are the defenses and defenders that inept? Or is there more involved?

A sudden drop in temperature can mean a lot of things, none of them good. Basically the signal that things are going to get a lot less pleasant and a lot more complicated.

Especially when it happens within the walls of the Aesir palace, enchanted as to maintain a constant, pleasant level. Especially especially if it happens while the coronation ceremony of the new king is in progress, with practically every aesir of any importance attending, along with representatives from all friendly (or at least non-hostile) realms.

Loki at first ignored it, as did most of those who noticed. After all, if something was wrong, the einherijar would be on the case in an instant. If they were not reacting surely it meant whatever it was was under control.

If you are any good as a sorcerer, you can sense the presence of magic as one can sense a raging fire nearby. Normally such an unfamiliar surge of power would have been as attention grabbing as a scream, but not now, with the ritual of the coronation in progress.

There was too much power in the room, the energies building moment by moment as the king-who-is and the king-to-be spoke the ancient vows, as the moment of the transfer of power approached closer still. Most of the sorcerers were more or less too dazzled by the hovering auras to sense a different, hostile power lurking not too far from them. Except, of course, one to whom that power called, for it was the same that flowed in his veins.

The younger prince hesitated a moment, scanning the room for any indication that someone had noticed, someone was attending to this new complication. No one. Were they all blind ? They may not have a sorcerer's senses, but surely they could feel the cold that crept into their bones? Sure, more than a few were fidgeting, rubbing their limbs in an effort to stay warm, but no one seemed to be actually on the case, so as to speak.

Loki concentrated on the echoes of the strange, icy power, tracing it back to it's origins. The Vault. Of course. Of all places it had to be the Vault. It was more curiosity than responsibility that led the trickster prince to his decision.

Under his breath he spoke a word, and an illusory image took his place, himself vanishing. The momentary flicker that betrayed the trick was too slight for even the alert eyes of the einherijar to register.

"Fenrir, to the Vault, now!" The captain of the guards was used to the younger prince's sudden appearances and disappearances, all the same, he could not help being too taken aback for a moment to follow the command as instantaneously as he should have. Loki had already vanished again by the time the captain yelled at the guards under his command to rush down.

Fortunately the palace halls were completely deserted at the time, so there were no awkward questions from the civilians slowing them down. Unfortunately, there _was_ plenty of ice slowing them down. Fenrir gaped as his foot went sliding from under him. He had stepped onto what should have been the stone corridor leading to the spiral stairs, but the stone beneath him was iced over as completely as a pool in the midwinter tide.

Obviously, the iced over part was no obstacle to one who was born to the frozen world of Jotunheim. Which was why Loki was the only one who actually caught sight of the invaders before the Destroyer struck.

Two of them. Huge and blue, but not quite as ugly as the usual set of Jotuns. The one who held the pulsing Winter Casket in hand turned towards the prince, his expression one of terror than wrath. He knew it was over. Loki's eyes went to the runes carved on the jotun's blue-black forehead. The rune that marked this intruder as one of royal blood. As the crown prince of Jotunheim.

The frost giant opened his mouth as if to speak something, ( a curse, most likely - jotuns did not plead for mercy), but before any words crossed his lips, a jet of flame erupted from the Destroyer. Loki was meters away from the targets, but even then the heat and the accompanying force wave flung him away, almost right onto Fenrir who came sliding to a stop before the yawning doors of the Vault.

The guards instantly placed themselves between the prince and the intruders, but a moment's inspection showed there was no danger here. The jotuns lay as charred, barely recognizable corpses on the floor. Some feet away lay the corpses of aesir - the guards of the Vault.

The sound of several pounding footsteps down the corridor sent Fenrir into Red Alert mode again, but those who came rushing in were Asgardians, Thor (of course) in the lead.

" About time you noticed" Loki commented.

The thunderer took in the grisly scene at one swift glance.

"Loki, are you alright?"

"Yes. The Destroyer dealt with them. Jotuns."

Sif and the Warriors Three seemed more interested in the Vault itself than the charred intruders. Even with the evident seriousness of the situation, Loki almost laughed at Volstagg's and Frandal's expression of childish awe.

"The Destroyer" Frandal murmured. "I thought that was a legend too."

Volstagg almost stepped forward as if he wanted to touch the deadly watcher and assure himself that it was really there, but changed his mind after a glance at what was left of it's targets.

"How did they get in?" Thor roared, launching a vicious kick at the nearest charred body. It squelched as his foot connected. Frandal looked like he was about to be sick.

Before anyone could say anything more, Odin Allfather was there. He said nothing, merely watched in musing silence as the Destroyer gently placed the Casket of Ancient Winters in it's resting place. It was as always, impossible to guess what he was thinking.

Thor's reaction, on the other hand, was as overt as it was predictable.

"The Jotuns must pay for what they've done!" The echoes in the vault sounded quite suitably dramatic, but Odin was far from impressed.

"They have already paid with their lives." The king's tone was curt."The Destroyer did it's job, and the Casket is safe. All is well."

Thor looked like he was about to explode. " _All is well?_ They..They broke into the Weapons Vault! If they had captured even one of these relics…"

"They did not."

For anyone other than Thor, the Allfather's tone would have translated as _This discussion is over._ But then again, when had the Thunderer been exactly adept at reading the subtext?

"I want to know why they…"

Right. Because that really wasn't obvious. Why would the Jotuns want the Winter Casket? Are you seriously asking that? Loki moved away from the pair, trying to see whether any damage had been done. The Casket may be what they were there for, but that didn't mean other relics would have been unwelcome.

Had the Destroyer been in time? Had one of the intruders gone for the Casket while the other tried another target? To sabotage, if not capture? Everything seemed to be in order, but the Vault was so vast that a careful, detailed inspection by the custodians would be necessary.

Of course, it was quite improbable that the jotuns had evaded the Destroyer long enough to do any damage, but it was not impossible. More importantly, how in the name of Yggdrasil had they managed to get so far?

Loki did not have as great a trust in Heimdall's Sight as other Asgardians did, having devised a couple of ways to circumvent it himself. But all the same, a place like the Weapons Vault was guarded by much more than the Watcher's sight and the guardsmen. The Destroyer was the final line of defense. To reach so far…No doubt the Allfather was alarmed, too. Contrary to what Thor clearly believed, just because you were calm didn't mean you were complacent.

Loki glanced back at his father and brother. Ah, almost time to intervene. Both looked like they were about to go ballistic.

"As King of Asgard, I would…"

Uh oh. Past time to intervene.

"You are not king yet."

The Allfather's tone seemed to sent the temperature plummeting even further. Loki hurried back to the pair, praying that Thor would have the sense to back off while he could. Thank the Norns, he did. At least, had sense enough to shut up and get out, though not enough to slam the door nearly off it's hinges like a tantrum throwing child. The Fates probably did Asgard and Jotunheim a great favour by scheduling the doomed heist before the coronation was over.

Odin sighed.

"He is a boy still. A boy playing at war."

The boy you would have crowned, father. Loki stepped closer.

"Father, I would.."

"Do you call for war, too?"

" Not till we know more." He paused. "I was here a moment or so before the Destroyer struck. I saw them. One of them" he indicated one of the bodies "This one, bore the royal runes. He was their crown prince. Laufey's son." _Technically, my younger brother._

Odin's face remained as inscrutable as ever, but Loki was pretty sure there was more unease in his eyes. This was no longer the escapade of two extremists that could be limited to them. If the prince of Jotunheim was involved..

"How sure are you of this?"

"Certain." Loki didn't hesitate. "I have seen him before, at the wedding of the Vanaheim princess. I would have recognized him from that alone, but the runes upon his forehead made it even easier. Only the king and the king-to-be bears those."

The Allfather nodded.

"Interesting. However, just because the prince was involved doesn't necessarily mean the king was. Possible, maybe even probable, but it is no proof. It would indeed be hypocritical of me to automatically assume Laufey was aware and approving of his son's escapade, considering the scrapes my sons routinely get into."

He looked down at what remained of Jotunheim's prince.

"A pity the body is unrecognizable. It would fall away to ashes the moment it is moved. No doubt Laufey would circulate a story of the boy dying in a hunting accident, or something very like it." There were no shortage of sudden and nasty ways to die in the frozen realm, even for princes.

"Come with me. The council must be summoned."


	3. Jotunheim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically, Thor just being Thor. No major diversions from the Movie, except one important character's absence from the team.

"The Truce is already broken!" Thor shouted. " Laufey has already struck, struck at the very heart of our realm, and you expect me to do nothing about it?"

Volstagg, already engaged in helping himself to the dishes on the few tables Thor hadn't yet demolished, looked up languidly. " The king will be planning something."

"The king!" If anything, that mention only made the Thunderer even more furious. "I am the king in all but name! If those creatures had delayed a moment more, they would have found Asgard had a true king to defend it!"

Hogun looked slightly disapproving, the others more than slightly alarmed. Thor was not king yet, and treason was treason, even from the crown prince.

" Perhaps they will decide on war after all." Frandal suggested, more to calm him down than out of any real conviction.

" He won't." Thor looked as if he could barely believe it. " He wants to preserve peace. _At any price!_ At the price of Asgard's honour!"

Sif had had enough of the temper tantrum. " Whatever he decides, will be done. What do you propose anyway, march into Jotunheim and ask Laufey to confess?"

The moment the words were out of her mouth, she regretted it. The look on Thor's face was too familiar. Frandal swore under his breath.

"No. just no, Thor!" Sif tried to sound reasonable, but it was difficult. "Of all the laws of Asgard, this is the one you must never break!"

"The law holds as long as the truce does. Meaning it is no longer in existence." Thor grinned. "We won't be breaking any law, technically."

"I very much doubt your father will see it that way."

"Oh, he will. In time."He looked delighted with the idea of action, a kid with a new toy, a new game to try. " Come on! You aren't going to let me take all the credit for this, are you? How would it sound, when they sing of this triumph one day, for it to be said you stayed behind?"

His companions exchanged glances of clear horror.

"Are you saying you want us to go now? Go into Jotunheim, right now?"

"Well, there would be time to change into more appropriate clothing., I suppose."

Hogun sighed. " Thor, a Council meeting has been called. You and Loki will have to attend. At least delay that long. Say your part before the Council, argue there. Perhaps they may see things your way, after all."

"The council?" Thor looked disgusted. "What council? All talk, talk, talk. Old, scared men, all too timid to argue against Odin Allfather."

"All the more reason for you to be there. A voice of reason." _Oh, the irony._

Thor shook his head. "No. Leave the words to Loki. My battles are fought in a different manner."

Sif was getting desperate by now. "Surely you don't mean to go without Loki? He will anyway be at the Council, we'll have to wait for him."

That was really their best hope. Delay Thor till Loki gets there, let the Silvertongue have the task of talking him down. When Thor began planning something of this sort, his younger brother was the only one who had a chance of distracting him.

"He's not coming with us." Thor declared.

The others stared, baffled. "He's not? You already asked him and he refused?"

" I didn't ask him, and I do not plan to."

Now that was something new. Usually Loki was the one desperately trying to talk his way out of whatever hare-brained quest Thor wanted to launch them on. Never had the Thunderer himself decided to exclude his brother out of hand.

"Uh…Why not?" Volstagg frowned. "Loki is the best sorcerer of the realm. Surely it would be well to…"

"He is a sorcerer. Not a warrior. The five of us will be enough. And anyhow, as you said he will be at the Council meeting and who knows how long that would go on. I am not waiting around for days while Laufey sits safe in his realm, laughing at us."

Damn. Even without the hope of his being able to talk Thor out of it, having Loki along would at least marginally increase their chances of survival. (The said chances now practically measured in negative numbers.). No matter what Thor would claim, the battle at Nornheim would have ended very differently if the mage had not hid them in mist. And this was way worse than anything Nornheim could have thrown at them.

" He wouldn't want to miss this chance, either." Frandal claimed eagerly. "Come on, Thor. We can wait long enough for.."

But Thor was no longer listening. " Are you with me or not?"

Well, what can you say to that?

…..

Thor could quite honestly say that he had never given much thought to Loki's actual parentage. His mostly happy-go-lucky mode of thinking had just dismissed that fact to the back of his mind. It simply didn't matter. Loki was his brother, and if the bloodlines said different, who cares? They just had to keep it secret. ( It was one of the few secrets Thor had actually managed to keep.).

No one had suspected, to the best of his knowledge. It probably helped that there was nothing even remotely Frost Giantish about Loki. The slender, silver tongued sorcerer with a face as comely as a damsel's was the exact anti thesis of the brutal offspring of Jotunheim.

Even in the more cultured realm of Asgard, he was considered, well, weird was the most polite word. Loki was a good enough diplomat to charm both the nobles and commoners, but even those who adored him (and many did) had to admit he was no warrior, preferring to fight his battles with words than with swords. How would anyone connect such a personality with the battle maddened berserkers of the frozen realm?

The secret was safe enough on Asgard. But in Jotunheim itself…That may be a different matter altogether. Magic was passed down through bloodlines. Frigga had taught Loki spellcraft, but the power in his blood had not come from her.

Maybe it was Laufey's queen who was the mage, and she was dead by now. (In Jotunheim, a queen who bore a less than perfect child had no right to live). But equally likely, it could be Laufey.

The jotun king was pretty much a dark horse, keeping the extent of his powers well hidden. He could be a sorcerer, all right. And if he was… Would he able to tell? See through the glamour? They would be in his homeground, his sanctum, so as to speak. He may be powerful enough..Not a risk Thor intended to take.

….

"Go now. While I still allow it."

The Jotun king glared at the tiny Asgardian force assembled before him. Thor returned the glare with equal intensity. Did the fool actually expect the future king of Asgard to run away home just because he commanded it? Evidently, Loki had inherited his mother's brains.

Sif spoke in a frantic whisper, stepping closer. "Thor, we are outnumbered. We can't hope to…"

"Sure we can"

He didn't bother to lower his voice. They had gone against greater odds often enough."You" he turned to Laufey "should know better than to think you are in a position to _allow_ anything, frost giant."

A swift leap would bring Laufey within his reach. The creature's very smugness infuriated the prince beyond measure. This was the enemy who had dared to infiltrate Asgard. The one who had humiliated them in front of the delegates of all realms assembled for the coronation. The one who had spilled aesir blood at the very heart of Asgard's power. The one who had left Loki to die. No, there would be no hesitation in dealing with this one.

"Thor…" Frandal pleaded, but the decision had already been made.

Mjolnir crackled with power. Thor moved swift as the lightning he ruled, but the jotun knig's guards were no less fast. The next few minutes were a blur of combat. Thor laughed and roared as he battled, jotuns crumbling before his might. Around him he could see his friends battling, but soon he was too overwhelmed by the tide of enemies to keep track of them.

He wasn't particularly worried, partly because of his belief that his team could definitely take care of themselves, partly because of the berserker madness that had blanketed him as it always did in combat. Abruptly, Sif was at his side, her face pale.

"We have to get away."

He only gave her a look that screamed 'Now? The fun is just starting!'

"Frandal is hurt. Hurt badly. We get him to a healer, or he dies. Simple as that."

The clear anger in her tone came as a surprise as he realized it was directed against him as much as against the jotuns

."Go, then"

Another zerg rush from the foe separated them. When he was next able to notice what was going on, they were already surrounded. Volstagg cursed wildly as he struck out with one hand, the other around Frandal, holding him upright. Sif was hurt too. A bloody slash across her face was already blackening with frostbite. Hogun fought on in grim silence, but that couldn't last long.

Around them crowded hundreds, perhaps even thousands of Jotuns. The icy cold crept into the very bones of the aesir, the frozen realm itself battling the intruders. For the first time in his life, Thor realized he may die. That his friends may die. Die in the quest he dragged them into.

"No way." Mjolnir roared, scattering the giants, but they just regrouped again, more and more taking the place of those who fell.

…..

There are those who can exude so much authority that a single word from them could turn the tide of a raging battle. Odin Allfather was one such, fortunately for his son's team.

Every eye turned to the king of Asgard. Laufey moved forward. Hogun was too busy trying to keep Frandal from bleeding out, but he did hear enough of the conversation between the two kings to know just how much trouble they were all in. War. For all the efforts to talk their way out of it, war.

Unlike his comrades,( except Volstagg who rarely bothered to remember anything even close to unpleasant) Hogun was old enough to remember the last war and it's aftermath. He knew well enough what it was like to grow up in the midst of that madness.

Thor looked honestly puzzled, as if he couldn't understand why Odin was wasting time with words instead of joining the battle. Well, at least he was keeping quiet and letting the grown ups do the talking. Or had Odin placed a silencing spell on him?

"It is war." Laufey snarled as the Bifrost roared into life around the aesir.

…..

The look on Loki's face as he appeared in the Healing Wards was enough to tell Sif how badly things had gone.

" What…I mean, is he..What did the.."

Loki cut off Volstagg's tentative question with a sharp glance. "What the hell were you thinking of? Seriously? Sif. Hogun? Thor is crazy, that's nothing new, but…"He shook his head, baffled.

Sif sighed. "Believe me, we know just how badly we messed up. But he would have gone, whether or not we accompanied him. What else could we have done?"

That only made him more furious. "Ever thought of, you know, telling _me?"_

"You think we didn't try? He wasn't having any of it. Knew you would talk him out of it given half a chance and didn't want to take the risk, I bet."

Everyone knew the only way to avoid losing an argument against Loki Silvertongue was never to start one in the first place.

"Thor forbade you to tell me?" He looked incredulous.

"He didn't want you along" Frandal sounded a bit disbelieving, too. "Yeah, sounds hella out of character, but there it is."

Loki shrugged, as if it didn't matter, but Hogun had caught a split-second change in his eyes – he knew, or thought he knew, why Thor had excluded him from the team this time.

"Maybe he was being cautious, after all" Volstagg suggested. "After all, it wouldn't do for both the princes to get captured or killed if it went wrong."

Sif raised an eyebrow. "If he had sense enough to think that far, we wouldn't have been in this mess to begin with." She paused."How did the Allfather find out, anyway?"

"Heimdall." Loki answered curtly. " He would obey the crown prince's command and sent him where he demanded, but he would be watching him like a hawk. The moment he saw how bad it had become, he sent a guard into the Council chamber to inform us." Loki sighed. "Why couldn't he have informed us a few minutes sooner, I don't know."

There was a long moment of silence. Sif was the one to break it, with the question they all wanted answered.

"So…What now? What is our punishment to be? How angry is the Allfather?"

"You won't face any direct punishments." Volstagg grinned, but the next moment, his mind caught up to the stress Loki had put on _you._ "You were bound to obey. He can't punish you for that."

"And Thor?"

"Banished. Stripped of his power. Mortal."

He snarled the words as if they were curses. It was clear just how close to the edge he was. For a moment, none seemed able to grasp the meaning. Before they had recovered enough to demand more information, Loki had vanished.

…..


	4. Damage  Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Odin is too exhausted and furious to be reasonable. Loki realizes Thor's situation is even more dangerous than the others know.

Odin stood surveying the vault. The custodians had inspected the place thoroughly and found no harm done. No harm here, at least. The Destroyer had moved swift enough.

A doomed mission by a foolish boy. Was that all? A boy wishing to prove his mettle, prove himself a man? A boy like his own eldest? Surely Laufey would have had too much sense to allow madness such as this, unless he had reasons of his own to get rid of an unsuitable heir?

No, even Laufey would not risk war. Odin, even in his younger hot blooded days, would not have actually welcomed war. Battles, yes, that could give as much or more sport as a hunt, but not outright war. Nor battles that could spiral into war. It almost always cost too much in blood and gold to be worth the trouble. But now…

Now when it was more vital than ever to conserve their might, the two mightiest realms would be plunged into another chaotic war. A war that would leave one destroyed and the other weakened. That had to be averted. No matter at what cost, that had to be averted. It was not merely Asgard that was at stake. The Allfather guarded the Nine Realms, and that was the responsibility that counted above all. Above even the responsibility of a father to his child.

"Father."

Loki moves as silent as a shadow. Odin was not aware of his presence till he spoke, and was not sure how long he had stood silent behind him. The king glanced back.

"You should be inspecting the defenses with your sorcerers."

Loki didn't look abashed.

"I have left Senegar in charge. He will do for a while. I wished to speak to you."

Odin could guess the matter he wanted to speak of, and it was not one he wanted to discuss.

"Speak, then."

Something in his tone warned the boy that this was unwelcome, but he was clearly not going to back off.

"I must beg of you to reconsider your decision about Thor."

"You would beg in vain, if that is what you desire."

He couldn't discuss this, not now. Not as exhausted as he was. Frigga was right. He had put off Odinsleep too long this time. Couldn't the boy see that? Or had he seen it well enough and chosen this time for the confrontation for that very reason? Hoping that this argument would be better won if the Allfather's faculties were clouded? He wouldn't put it past Loki.

"Father, I am not being sentimental about this, just practical. Thor is one of our best warriors. Can we really afford to lose him now, when we stand at the brink of war? And the people…They are furious, near the point of revolt. Most of them seem to share his sentiments."

Odin smiled bitterly.

"That right there should be proof enough that he was wrong and a fool. When do popular sentiment recommend the wisest course?"

Loki was not going to argue with that point. Put a bunch of the smartest people in the realm in a large group and you would find the collective IQ taking a sharp plunge. However, in this case…

"He was a fool, yes. And he deserves punishment. I am not denying that. But this…Father, is this not overly harsh? Banish him, by all means. Or strip him of his power. But both…You have left him completely vulnerable, in a world of which he knows nothing. He probably thinks Vikings still rule the place."

"Being vulnerable for a while may give him a dose of humility. One that he badly needs."

Leave me, Loki. I donot want to argue now. About this, or about anything. Leave me, if you know what is good for you. If you are not as much a fool as your brothers.

"Pardon me, father, but I think he is not likely to live long enough to learn it."

Odin raised an eyebrow.

"He has the body of a young, able bodied male. The Midgardian lifespan is short, but not that short."

"You know full well that is not what I meant."

"Indeed? What did you mean, then?"

Usually Loki was good at reading the warning signs and backing off from an argument before it got too heated, but this time he seemed blind to it. Or determined to ignore all warnings. He wouldn't try to shout down the counter arguments like Thor. He would just keep on pushing, soft spoken and polite, but never yielding.

"Thor has made too many enemies over the centuries. There are too many who desire vengeance. Too many who would only be too glad to learn that their hated foe is powerless and alone. And they would learn. Something like this cannot be kept secret from the other realms. They would murder him long before he can prove his worth, long before any lesson of humility made it's way into his stubborn head."

He met Odin's glare without flinching, keeping his own tone soft and respectful. Relentless.

"And you know this better than I do."

The Allfather nodded. "Yes. I do know all that. Know that better than you do. And what does that tell you?"

Loki hesitated a moment before steeling himself to speak again.

"I believed, at first, that you had dispatched guards with him. Einherijar, perhaps, to guard him, unknown to him. But you haven't. "

He paused. He knew the seriousness of the accusation he was about to make.

"You…You have sentenced him to death. A brutal death at the hand of one or more of his enemies. Of Asgard's enemies. And the ones who would find him first would be Jotuns. Laufey's men. They know by now that he has been banished, and Bifrost is not the only way between the worlds. It may take them a little while to pinpoint his location on Midgard, but the Bifrost is not too difficult to track. It leaves visible enough traces where it touches down. A sufficiently skilled sorcerer could locate it, and knowing Thor, he would already have done enough to make himself noticed in the region. And Mjolnir's power, it's aura, would act as a beacon."

Odin remained silent for a long moment after Loki had finished.

"Are you quite finished? If you are, return to your duties. You have wasted enough time already."

"I am doing my duty now. My duty to my family and my people."

"By questioning your king's commands?"

"By demanding answers. By asking you to reconsider a decision that can only worsen the situation. If you believe Thor's offense is serious enough to merit death, it is serious enough to deserve a trial. He should have had a chance to explain himself. "

As if he stood a chance of talking his way out of this. Unless Loki offered himself as his champion to speak for him.

"I gave him sufficient chance to explain, and you heard the explanation he offered. And, whether or not a trial is held, it is I who have the duty of sentencing the criminal, the traitor, to death."

Loki's eyes widened. He had clearly been expecting Odin to deny it, to explain that he had measures in place to protect Thor. Odin went on, his tone cold and detached, the way it went when he was battling to keep his rage in check.

"Yes. Thor is sentenced to death. I do expect the Jotuns to take his life. To let vengeance be satisfied. Their honor has been insulted by his mad assault, and they seek to redeem it in battle. But they can equally well redeem it by the blood of the one who attacked them. His comrades do not matter. They were obeying their lord's commands, no more and no less. Once he is slain, once they perceive vengeance as done, Laufey may well be more receptive to offers of peace."

The look of utter disbelief on the boy's face hurt more than it should have.

"You mean…"Loki shook his head, baffled. "Please tell me I heard it wrong. You are so afraid of war that you would let the Jotuns murder Thor? Then why did you go fetch them back, in the first place? You could have let them perish, and denied every involvement."

Odin was not sure how long he could handle this. He was at the end of his reserves. He needed to get back to his chambers, go into the trance state, and pray it would be over in time.

"At the time I still hoped to avoid war by diplomacy. Besides, it was not fair that the Warriors Three and lady Sif should die for their leader's folly."

"You can't really think this will work. They won't stop. Not so easily. Laufey has been getting ready for a confrontation for long, this was the last straw. But if Thor's foolishness had not become the trigger, something else would have. You let them kill Thor, that would be nothing short of a declaration to the Realms that Asgard cannot protect even it's own sons."

"Return to your duties, Loki." Odin commanded.

But Loki was not willing to back off. Not yet.

"If you believed Thor deserved death, you should at least have had the courage to give the order yourself. Or were you afraid the people would revolt? They are on the verge of it already". He paused."I am beginning to think Thor was right, after all. You are too scared. Too scared to face the prospect of another war, too scared even to face the indignation of your own people."

The Allfather had held his rage in check till now, but this was too much. An accusation of cowardice, of weakness, was one that the king of Asgard could never tolerate. He whirled round to face the boy, his eyes blazing.

"Silent! You will speak no more of this matter, to me or to anyone else. "

"And if I do not obey? Will you banish me, as well?"

Loki's tone was still calm, still soft. But Odin caught, or thought he caught, the undercurrent of a challenge in the question. As if the boy was asking ' _Do you really think you can manage that?'_ It was from his father that Thor had inherited his temper and prickly pride- Odin just kept them on a tighter leash. However this time, exhausted as he was, mentally and physically, the Allfather could not help letting the beast within take over. And the beast instinctively goes for what would cause the deepest wound.

"You will do well to remember that I need no power to cast _you_ out."

The moment the words were out of his mouth, Odin would have given anything in the world to take them back. Loki flinched as if he had been struck, his face going completely expressionless, frozen.

"I will remember, my lord."

He bowed, took a step backwards, and vanished, melting into the shadows. Odin reached out a hand as if to detain him, to try to explain or perhaps to apologize, but he was already gone.

…

"Me?"

Loki looked like this was the last thing he expected. Frigga smiled sadly.

"You are the next in line to the throne."

"I know that! But…You are the one who rules while he is in Odinsleep. You are the regent."

The queen sighed. "In normal times, yes. But now…The people are restless. A war looming, Thor banished…It would go easier with them to show a son of Odin will be leading the Realm."

Loki shook his head. "All the more reason to have an experienced ruler in charge. At least half of the Council had voiced doubts about Thor's coronation, claiming he was too young. I am younger still. Considering what exactly led to this situation, they would not be glad to have another boy-king on the throne."

"You are of age. Well, almost of age. A decade or two makes little difference."

Frigga knew Loki better than anyone else, including himself. This was just a reason that sounded right, a reason given to mask the real one. He was hiding whatever he felt quite well, but the queen was a mage too, an empath. There was not much even he could hide from her.

" I am not a warrior."

"We have more than enough warriors. We need a king."

"Or a queen. One who has the experience of ruling a war torn realm. Someone whom the people are accustomed to seeing in power, in control. Someone whom the Allfather has already trusted with his realm."

Finally, the true reason was beginning to show.

"He has full confidence in you. You know that, Loki." He turned away. " Loki!"

She was beginning to understand now. "What did he say?"

"Nothing but the truth."

The boy tried to sound casual, but his eyes revealed what he felt. Not just pain, but fear. As if he couldn't be sure anymore, not even about her.

"Then you misunderstood him. Or he was too exhausted, too near Odinsleep to know what he was saying."

She touched his hand, her eyes and her touch conveying what couldn't be put into words. _You are my son. My child. You belong here, and I don't care where you were actually born or to whom. You are mine_.

"Maybe." His tone made it clear he didn't believe it. "I hope it was so…But if it wasn't.. After what he did to Thor, let us just say I am not willing to risk going so blatantly against his wishes."

She wanted to push further, convince him, but instinctively she knew it would do no good. He was too upset, and to be honest, so was she. Too much had happened in the past few hours…Only a single day had passed since the disastrous Coronation. It felt like centuries, so much had happened, so much gone wrong.

The realm at war.

One of her sons lost, perhaps for ever.

Odin…He had delayed this too long. There was no way to predict when he would recover, or if he ever would. If he never awoke..

And the greater war, the one of whose existence only a small fraction of the Multiverse remained aware..Thor hadn't known that. They had meant to tell him and Loki after the Coronation, after they were officially the King of Asgard and his Chief Adviser, but…If Thor had known, would he have behaved different? Or would it only have made him more belligerent, more reckless?

Frigga was trying hard to not go down the 'What If' path, she had to remain strong for her sons, for her realm, but it was difficult even for the Warrior Queen of Asgard. She let Loki leave the room. She would go to him later, when they were both a little more calm. Now she stepped to the Allfather's side. "I know you can hear me.' She spoke softly. " And you heard him. We can't lose them both, Odin. I won't let that happen. And you had better hurry about waking up. "

…..

Loki briefly wondered whether he should try to find the rest of the team, wherever they had holed up in. Would only be fair to bring them up to date on just how badly the realm was screwed. No, better put that off for now. He really wasn't upto the effort of giving an explanation to Frandaal and Volstagg, something to test the patience of a sage at the best of times. Better let them, or rather Sif, sniff it out. Wouldn't take too long. For now, he had a more complicated long-distance conversation to handle.

Heimdall would be watching every path to and from Asgard like a hawk, no doubt much disconcerted by his failure in duty. But even the watcher's eyes could trace only the physical forms.

Loki flung himself down onto bed. He had been worried that he would be wound too tight to send himself into the Dreamwalking state, but it worked, finally. The mage's heartbeat slowed, his breathing became barely perceptible. His eyes moved rapidly under the lids, as if he was dreaming. Every body process slowed or stopped, the body going into what was essentially 'power saving' mode while the mind and soul (too intertwined to be separable) left the shell.

The mind doesnot need the Bifrost to cross the realms.


	5. Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things begin to grow more complicated as both Aesir and Jotuns focus on Midgard. Thanos begins to show his hand, and it becomes clear how the jotuns managed the heist attempt without a traitor involved.

Thor was not sure how long he had been there, in the interrogation room. The midgardians had just kept asking the same questions, over and over again, expecting different answers. Expecting any answer. Not that he intended to give them any. He was not sure what would happen, and to tell the truth, he didn’t particularly care.

Mjolnir…Only to be wielded by the worthy. Which he was not. Somehow, that hurt the worst. The confirmation that it was really done, that Odin had well and truly banished him. Till then, there had been hope, a chance that he may return. Come to think of it, he had been stupid to hope. Had he really thought it would be that easy? That Odin Allfather would leave so obvious a chance…Say what you like about the ruler of Asgard, when he did something he was thorough about it.

The Midgardian was still there, wasn’t he? Oh, yes. If he was getting frustrated by the captive’s silence, he was not showing it. A trained interrogator, calm and poker-faced. What was he called, anyway? He had mentioned it in the beginning…Well, he was the son of someone called Coul. Thor reluctantly re focused on the man.

“You can’t remain silent for ever, you know.”

The man’s tone was casual, as if whether or not Thor revealed anything was a matter of no consequence. As if the prince of Asgard was no more than a trivial complication. Thor chuckled bitterly at that thought. Well, it was true, wasn’t it? He was no longer a prince. No longer one of the Aesir. No one.

The son of Coul looked at him strangely, no doubt wondering whether the captive was, after all, as crazy as he appeared. The little device in his belt (some form of communication, perhaps. Like the rune-stones) made a sound. The man looked surprised at the interruption, glanced down at it and shrugged.

“This had better be good.” He got to his feet, a little stiff. It had been a long time. “Be back in a second, big guy.”

Thor didn’t respond. Not that it seemed expected of him.

“I thought he would never leave.” Thor looked up, startled.

“Loki?”

For a moment, he had almost not recognized him. The younger prince was dressed identical to the Midgardians, even the hairstyle somewhat like theirs. The look of half amused exasperation on his face was perfectly familiar, though.

”Yeah, it’s me. Seriously, Thor. Twelve hours on Midgard and you already got yourself on the watchlist of their best defense team?”

Thor grinned wryly. “I didn’t do it on purpose, you know. And why in the world are you dressed like…this?”

“That’s the first thing you have to say? A comment on my fashion sense?” He paused to take a good look at Thor’s new attire.” At least I picked the attire the Midgardian powerholders wear. Not a dumb T-shirt. That doesn’t even suit you, by the way. “

“Tell that to Jane.”

Loki raised an eyebrow as if saying _Already on first name terms with Midgardian girls?_ , but Thor was now focused on more serious matters.

“What is happening? Back home, I mean? Father…”

“In Odinsleep. He sure does pick the most convenient time , doesn’t he?” Loki shook his head in clear exasperation. “Mother is in charge now. We’re going to send in diplomatic teams, try for a peace treaty…”

“At any terms.” Thor sounded resigned.

“It’s not like we are in a strong bargaining position.” Loki admitted.

There was way more than meets the eye going on, he knew well enough. He had managed to ‘accidentally’ intercept enough communications in the past months to know it. But still, he had no clue what exactly it was, and as such, no intention of letting Thor in on it. He had enough on his plate already. Whatever it was, it meant they had to avert war. At any cost.

That was the job for the diplomatic teams, and Loki Silvertongue who would lead them. But right now, the job was to make sure Thor remained alive long enough to benefit from the peace treaty. After all, if war was coming, against the Jotuns or whatever the hell the hidden ‘ultimate threat’ was, they would need the Thunderer on the team.

“The others are okay, aren’t they?”

“Fine. Last I checked, Frandal was about to get murdered by Healer Phiona for flirting with her trainees, but the others are still in one piece.”

Thor chuckled. “Business as usual, then.” He paused. “So…What now?”

“Now we try to get you back home before you get killed. Or eaten. Or both.”

Thor sighed. “I don’t think that will work, Loki. Father…He wouldn’t…”He shook his head. “I can no longer wield Mjolnir.”

“I know. I was watching.” And it was hilarious. All the more reason to bring you back home. It is too much comedy gold to be wasted. “We’ll work something out, okay? I can’t undo the banishment and probably can’t do much about Mjolnir, but I’m pretty sure there is a way to get you back to normal Aesir level.”

Thor’s eyes widened in sudden hope. “What do you mean? You can’t go against father’s orders. The last thing we need is you ending up banished too.”

“He’s going to be out for a while. With any luck we can get this resolved before he’s able to forbid anything.”

Loki was not sure whether he ought to tell Thor that Odin had actually meant the exile to be a death sentence. Better leave it till later. He had scouted the place a bit. The SHIELD agents had established a strong perimeter around Mjolnir, and incidentally, around Thor. It would not stop ay attacks from Jotun power level, but it would hold them back for a while. Long enough for him to find out and get Thor away.

“Just try to be a bit less stupid than usual for a while, and we may get out of this after all. Got to get back now.” He glanced behind him, as if he heard someone calling. “Mother’s looking for me.”

Thor nodded. “Okay…Tell the others, won’t you? Sif and the Warriors Three. Tell them I’m okay. And that I’m sorry.”

Thor was actually apologizing? Well, this time his lunacy had had more consequences than usual.

“I will.” He hesitated, as if he wasn’t sure he wanted the next question answered. “Why the hell did you sneak away without me, Thor? I could have gotten us away, opened a portal or something, Father need never have known. If you had trusted me in the first place, we wouldn’t be in this mess by now.”

“Of course I trust you! “ Thor seemed taken aback that this would have been in question at all.

“Then why not tell me? Why forbid Sif from letting me know? Who did you think I would side with?”

“I just didn’t want to risk Laufey getting a good look at you!”

Loki blinked. He was not expecting this answer.

“What? Was that what you were worried about? His seeing through the glamour?”

“I didn’t want to risk it.” The younger prince stared at him for a moment, then laughed.

“You do have a weird perspective on risk.”

………………………………………………………

In the Healing Rooms, Sif was trying her best to suppress the urge to strangle Volstagg. Or Frandal. Or both.

“Could you slow down on that?” Frandal demanded. “People here are already sick.” Volstagg, shoveling food in, seemed not to notice. Frandal groaned and looked away, a bit green. “How does he manage that?”

The next minute his attention was diverted onto one of the trainee healers walking by. “Hi, darling.” The girl smiled back, but didn’t stop. “I think she likes me.”

“Not necessarily. Healers are trained to be considerate to the mentally challenged.”

“Come on, Sif! You’re just jealous.”

Sif sighed. Why the hell wasn’t Hogun back already? If he left her as the only sane one in the room much longer, these two idiots would be in for a much more extended hospital stay. Volstagg suddenly gagged, yelling something incomprehensible. The food had turned into snakes. Including what was in his mouth. Healer Phiona didn’t need to turn around to see who was responsible.

“ Prince Loki, that’s disgusting!”

“Sorry, Phiona” the Trickster gave her his most charming smile. “They’re not real snakes. I wouldn’t bring those in here.”

“Still disgusting. And now this place has to be cleaned up again! “ She practically shooed him out. “Go wait outside. If you want to talk to this bunch, I’ll be sending them out in a minute. They’re well enough to leave.”

Volstagg was still furiously trying to scrub his mouth clean when they came out. The damn snakes may have been illusions, but they definitely had felt real enough. And tasted real enough. The thought nearly had him throwing up again. Loki was waiting, arms folded across his chest.

“That was NOT funny!”

Frandal chuckled. “It sort of was.”

“A waste of good food!”

Loki raised an eyebrow.“Thor is banished, the king is in Odinsleep, Asgard is on the brink of war, and you manage to devour four whole wild boars?”

“And six pheasants” Frandal added “And a side of beef. And two casks of ale.”

“I should have used real snakes.”

Volstagg growled. “Don’t mistake my appetite for apathy!”

Hogun joined them “What is the plan?”

No one replied for a long moment. “Be careful” Sif suggested. “Heimdal can hear…”

“Not this conversation.” Loki sounded quite sure. “ The Watcher’s sight is not as infallible as they would like us to think.”

“You can shield from him?”

“I’ve been doing it for ages. I really don’t like people looking at me when I want to be alone.”

“Let’s hope you are right.” Sif said curtly. “We all know what needs to be done, don’t we

“If you mean going after Thor, yes. But not just to guard him or share his exile. This is going to be far riskier than that.” The others looked baffled. Hogun frowned. He seemed to have some idea what the sorcerer was planning. “We need Idunn’s spell.”

Hogun looked startled. The others looked clueless. Loki and Hogun glanced at them in evident exasperation.

“Idunn! The Golden Apple Formula! Seriously, didn’t you guys pay any attention to history class?”

“Had better things to pay attention to” Frandal commented. “Idunn is that blonde girl in the middle of the Throne Hall tapestry, isn’t she? Very pretty.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “Yeah, very pretty, very blonde. And the best sorcerer in Asgard’s history. The one who figured out how to extend lifespans.”

“That must have been in pre history some time” Volstagg commented. “Wait, she cast the spell over all of Asgard, didn’t she?”

“Not alone. She was the one who crafted the spell, but no mage is strong enough to do something that big level alone. There were thousands of sorcerers involved to power the spell, with her leading. And once it was done, the Allfather of her time commanded it to be hidden, but they didn’t hide it too well, apparently. The Jotuns stole it and cast it over themselves before Aesir could get it back. Idunn was the one who hid it after that, and she at least knew what she was doing. Hid it so well that none has found it in the aeons after.”

“Well, if no one found it…” Frandal paused. “Damn. You found it.”

“Not really.” Loki paused for a moment, as if checking for eavesdroppers once more. “I know where it is. The problem would be getting there.”

Frandal chuckled. “We just stormed Jotunheim. Which location would be crazier than that?”

“Niflheim. Hel, to be specific.”

A moment of stunned silence. Frandal finally found his voice again. “You…You are kidding, right?” Loki shook his head. Frandal groaned. “I take back what I said.”

………………………………………

“Give me one reason I should not slay you, sorcerer.” Laufey’s voice is cold and sharp as steel. The cloaked figure before him does not seem awed.

“I come to offer you another proposition, king of Jotuns.”

Laufey’s eyes narrowed. He is beyond furious, but knows better than to let the mask slip. “You murdered my son.”

The other one sighed. “The Aesir slew your son. You know that as well as I do, monarch. We offered him a chance, the best chance he or any of yours could hope for to restore your realm’s glory. We offered him a chance to recover the Winter Casket. “

Laufey snarled. “A chance? The attempt was doomed to fail.”

“How? We opened the shadowpaths to him right into the fabled Asgardian vaults. We cloaked him from the sight of Asgard’s vigilant Watcher. We shielded him from the defending spells that would have disintegrated him the moment he stepped in. All he needed to do was to disable the Destroyer, and we instructed him on how to manage that. What more could we have done? Surely, if anyone has cause for complaint here it is my side, not yours.”

“Your side. What is that, sorcerer? Who do you serve? You are powerful, but no king. Which master do you serve? What interest has he and you in this?”

Ebony Maw, the Mad Titan’s most trusted lieutenant, smiled. It was a rather unnerving gesture, given his grayish wrinkled face of a corpse.

“I explained it before, king. Once to your son, and once more to you.”

“Revenge on Odin Allfather” Laufey sounded skeptical. “You could have achieved that in easier fashion. The boy believed it. But I have lived longer. What is your endgame?” 

“My dear monarch. Do you really expect me to disclose my master’s final objectives to an ally who has already proved…less than effective?” This the Jotun king can’t argue. He looks dissatisfied, but demands no further answer. “All you need to know, King of Jotunheim, is that it is to our mutual benefit to continue our alliance. The Jotuns are powerful allies to have, and we do not wish to alienate your people. We offered you the best gift we had to offer - vengeance against those who destroyed your world. Your son was not capable of using his chance wisely. Perhaps he was too hasty, as the young are. “

“He was just a boy.” There is genuine grief in Laufey’s tone, and Thanos’ lieutenant is not the sort who would miss it.

“If he was a boy, you should have guarded him closer, king. It is men that you send out into battle, not boys.”

For a second, it seemed that Ebony Maw had gone too far. The king’s eyes blazed blood red, and frost hardened into swords in his arms. The sorcerer did not flinch, but waited. The outriders beside him tensed, but the attack never came. Laufey managed to regain his composure.

“What would you have of me now? Or rather, what would your master have of me?” 

“ Friendship. Naught more. War is coming, and your people, once the mightiest of the Nine Realms, are incapable of defending your world. But we can restore your power, in return for the promise that you will wield that power on behalf of our cause.”

Laufey smiled as if to say he knew there was much more the other side wanted, but that this would do for now.

“The strength of Asgard is in the House of Odin. The Allfather lies bound in OdinSleep, but he is safe, behind more wards and spells than even our shadowpaths can penetrate. At least, not without attracting undesired attention. But his son, the one who challenged you, is in the mortal realm. Powerless and vulnerable.”

Laufey smirked. “My assassins already seek him. We do not need your prompting there.”

“Ah yes, king. But I must ask you to change your plans. Take the boy alive. Have them bring him to your centre of power. You have not forgotten the ancient rituals. The blood sacrifice. The boy’s death can be a blow against Asgard more than on the symbolic level.”

Laufey frowned. “You speak of the Endless.”

“Aye. The Death of the Endless. Slay the boy on the altar of Ancient Winters, let it flow into the sigil of the Death of the Endless, and her power will be unleashed till it has devoured all of the House of Odin.”

“Only fools try to command the Endless, sorcerer. I have powerful mages under my command, perhaps the most powerful in the Nine Realms. None of them would dare channel a power that intense.”

“I will.”

Laufey raised an eyebrow. “You believe you are strong enough in magic and will to cast a Blood Rune of the Greater Circle?”

“I donot believe, monarch. I know. Besides, what risk do you have in this? I will be the Summoner, it will be my mind and soul that powers the Ritual. You want the son of Odin dead, and dead he will be whether or not the ritual succeeds. If I am wrong, if I have over estimated my strength or under estimated the strength of the Endless, I will die with him. Then you can tell yourself that you have taken revenge twice over for the death of your son. If I succeed, you will see your greatest foe and all of his blood, slain. You will have Asgard, and soon all the Realms, bow down before you.”

“And what would you have? What is in this for you?”

Ebony Maw met his eyes calmly. “There are worlds beyond the Nine Realms, king. The Realms are of little interest to my master. He will allow you to have them, to do what you will. Because unlike Odin Allfather, you will have the wisdom to not meddle in something beyond your understanding. We would have Odin and his brood removed. And we would have the gratitude and allegiance of the new rulers of the Nine Realms.”


End file.
